


Family

by Luzula



Category: due South
Genre: Alternate Universe, Backstory, Community: ds_snippets, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-03-05
Updated: 2011-03-05
Packaged: 2017-10-16 03:16:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/167829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luzula/pseuds/Luzula
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ben grows up with a mother.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Family

**Author's Note:**

> Trying to kick-start my writing again. Spontaneous and not beta-read.

Ellen opened the door into the late April sunshine. "Ben? Ben! Dinner's ready."

"Coming!" he called from somewhere around the yard. Ellen looked around for him, and then he came running, with little Maggie riding on his back and shouting at him to run faster.

"I'm riding!" she said, pulling at his hair.

Ben winced and disentangled her fingers. Ellen grinned and held the door open for them, and Ben let Maggie down and then helped her take her outdoor clothes off.

Bob was already at the table, and they all wolfed down the stew with the appetite of people who had spent most of the day out of doors.

"I'm teaching Maggie how to harness the dogs," Ben said, and Maggie beamed.

Bob nodded approvingly. "Can't start too young."

Seeing as the dogs could practically harness themselves, lifting their paws up at the proper moment, Ellen didn't doubt Maggie's success at the task, even if she was only three. And she was glad Ben had taken so to his sister (well, half-sister). He was nothing if not responsible, and she had no qualms about leaving him alone with Maggie while she checked her traps.

He was a far cry now from the reserved, quiet boy she'd first met. Ben had lived with Bob's parents for while after Caroline died, and they were good people, but so strict and old-fashioned. She couldn't seen them encouraging the boy to play and have fun, which was what he needed, in Ellen's opinion.

Bob--well, he came and went, as he did. Theirs was a second marriage on both sides, and neither Caroline nor Matt were forgotten. But it wasn't easy to live alone up here, and they'd found both companionship and comfort with each other. And Ellen had always wanted children.


End file.
